The field of gene therapy is experiencing major advances driven by precise editing technologies, such as base and prime editing, and by the design of increasingly sophisticated vectors to deliver payloads that could reverse the effects of diseases. However, in the transition to in vivo applications many approaches still fail in their attempt to effectively reach target tissues or cells.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is taking aim at the shortage of medical services with a program designed to foster development of micro-robots, or microbots, which will autonomously conduct part or all of a variety of surgical procedures.

Mursla Bio Ltd. recently entered a partnership with an unnamed large pharmaceutical company to use its AI Precision Medicine platform to help with drug development and ultimately develop companion diagnostics. The collaboration uses Mursla’s platform ability to isolate and analyze extracellular vesicles from a simple blood sample, to provide biologically labelled, multiomics data to improve patient stratification, monitor treatment and develop companion diagnostics.

Kakao Healthcare Corp. plans to secure ₩100 billion (US$68 million) through two investment deals with Cha Biomedical Group and outside investors by early next year. The transactions, expected to close by the first quarter of 2026, will make Cha the controlling shareholder of Kakao Healthcare with a 43.08% stake. Kakao Corp., the parent company, will hold 29.99%, and external investors will own 26.93%.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ended the Treatment Choices model under the end stage renal disease payment payment system for several reasons, including its failure to deliver meaningful savings.